It was a holiday affair with the rock star treatment that any small child
could never have imagined.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport served it up royally on
December 14 with its annual Holidays at Hartsfield-Jackson event that provided
gifts, snacks and lively entertainment to more than 600 first-graders from
airport-area schools.

Walking down a red carpet with dozens of bright flashes from the cameras,
the children were greeted with warm, infectious smiles under peppermint-colored,
balloon arches and candy canes as they entered the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Campus. Then they entered a wonderland of snowflakes, decorative
banners, giant Christmas trees with large lollipops on top and giant panda
bears standing at the posts of a short, white fence decorated in candy canes.

Holidays@Hartsfield-Jackson in action

The children were entertained during the day-long event, and consulates
from Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom provided the educational segment
of the event. In between comedian-host Sherman Golden getting the crowd
involved in his acts, the thunderous laughs and claps continued with a magic
show from D’Avante Parks and a puppet show from Peter Hart.

“What I liked was the magic show, and how the magician was able to
make the eyes move on the [drawing] board,” said seven-year-old Luis Perez
from Fain Elementary School. “I had fun.”

Holidays@Hartsfield-Jackson in action

The mission was accomplished for Aviation General Manager Ben DeCosta who
brought warm greetings and said, “I want you to have fun, some more
fun and enjoy. This is my favorite time of the Christmas season being here
with you all.”

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin joined DeCosta as they recognized all the
teachers and staff members from the various schools with gifts. Other invited
schools were Deerwood and Romar Academies, Hamilton E. Holmes, Bethune,
Calloway, Hendrix Drive Elementary Schools and Unidos Dual Language Charter
School.